Detroit Attractions

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Although it has certainly seen better days, the city of Detroit has a rich, important history. When you visit Downtown Detroit and the surrounding neighborhoods, you will find many attractions and cultural institutions that illustrate the city's vibrant past.

A National Historic Landmark, The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, located in Dearborn - a suburb not far from downtown - is a 12-acre history museum complex that has numerous artifacts and exhibits that truly pay homage to the history of Detroit and America. When visiting the complex and museum, you can see a number of famous homes and extraordinary exhibits, such as the Rosa Parks bus, the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop, and the chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot in Ford's Theatre. Check out the "The Automobile in American Life" and a movie at the Imax Theater.

Also in Dearborn, the Automotive Hall of Fame is a visitor attraction and educational resource for those interested Detroit's automotive history. Nearby at the Arab American Museum, which is the first in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture, you can see exhibits that highlight Arab Americans' contributions to American society and rich cultural heritage.

Since Detroit is the city where Motown originated, the Motown Historical Museum is a must-see. The museum, located Near Wayne State University in the historic cultural center, traces Motown's roots and impact on American popular culture in the 20th century. Also in the area are a number of cultural institutions within walking distance of each other. These include the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Science Center, and the Detroit Historical Museum.

If you're in Detroit on a Saturday, check out the six-block public market area in the heart of the Eastern Market Historic District, just one mile north of Downtown Detroit. There you'll find hundreds of open-air stalls with vendors selling various products from Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario.